I Saw the Sun That Day and It Was You
by sofia313
Summary: "I will love you and I will love your child as it would be my own." Niklaus paused and gently touched Violette's stomach. "Come with me and no harm will ever come to either of you, I give you my word."
1. Chapter 1

**This is going to be a short story, rated M because of some dark themes.**

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 **Part 1**

Niklaus looked around in the hall that was full of people. He had never seen anything like it; Count de Martel certainly knew how to throw a feast. The red and gold tunic Niklaus was wearing felt completely foreign to him, the fabric felt nothing but strange. All the noblemen were wearing that kind of tunics and he was supposed to be a nobleman now. He still wasn't sure if he had made the right call by voting to come here.

Elijah and Finn seemed to be doing well, Elijah was having a conversation with the Count himself and Finn with some other nobleman. Rebekah seemed to be enjoying herself; she was getting plenty of attention from many young noblemen. Then there was of course Kol. Niklaus sighed as he spotted his little brother; Kol was just kissing the hand of some blushing young noblewoman. Hopefully Kol would behave while they would be here. After a moment Niklaus noticed Lucien, he was standing next to the wall. He didn't notice Niklaus approaching him.

"You've proven to be an immense help," Niklaus stated, managing to startle Lucien.

"Of course, my lord," Lucien replied.

Niklaus looked at his serious face and felt curiosity.

"Though I must say you don't seem at all disturbed about leading us into your master's home."

Lucien's expression tensed.

"My master is a cruel drunkard who torments his minions for sport. Beggars who seek supper, vessels who cannot pay a debt. Like my own father."

That explained a lot.

"Ah."

"All these "gentle" folks behind their silks and their jewels, they are monsters. Whatever evil you are, you walk among greater evil still," Lucien stated bitterly. "What do I care if you kill a lot of them."

They were both quiet for a moment, Niklaus observed the people in the room. He didn't doubt that Lucien was right about them. Absentmindedly Niklaus glanced at the entrance and noticed a man and a woman entering the room arm in arm. The woman was very beautiful.

"Who are they?" Niklaus asked.

Lucien glanced at the entrance as well and seemed somewhat uncomfortable when he saw the man and the woman.

"Um, they're Count's children, the Lord Tristan and his sister the Lady Aurora."

"Hmm," Niklaus murmured, allowing himself to admire the Count's daughter. Then he saw her. The woman walking behind the Lord Tristan and the Lady Aurora. She was…gorgeous. Dark brown curls, big dark eyes, heart shaped face, full lips…

"What about her?" Niklaus murmured, he couldn't turn his eyes away from this woman. "Who is she?"

"Oh, that's the Lady Violette," Lucien replied. "She is the Count's ward."

Niklaus wasn't familiar with the word.

"What does that mean?"

"Her father was the member of the court and after he passed away, since the lady has no brothers or other male relatives, the Count became her guardian," Lucien explained.

"Ah, I see," Niklaus muttered. "She has no husband?"

Lucien hesitated for a moment before replying.

"No. The Count will decide who she will marry. He has not done that yet, probably because…"

"What?" Niklaus asked when Lucien didn't continue.

"I would advice you to stay away from all of them," Lucien stated tensely. "Lord Tristan is truly his father's son, he knows no mercy."

Niklaus looked at the three of them, especially the Lady Violette. She was just greeting the Count with a bow and a smile. She had the most beautiful smile Niklaus had ever seen. Suddenly she looked up and met Niklaus' gaze. She blinked her eyes rapidly few times; a faint flush was rising in her cheeks as he smiled at her. They looked at one another until Tristan touched her shoulder. She was clearly startled, but she got over that quickly and turned to look at Tristan.

"The lady does not seem very dangerous to me," Niklaus murmured.

"Perhaps not, but I strongly advice you to avoid her," Lucien responded.

"Why is that?"

Lucien seemed uncomfortable.

"Trust me on this, my lord. The smartest thing for you to do is to stay as far away from Lady Violette as you can."


	2. Chapter 2

**Part 2**

Violette looked at the small bottle she was holding. It was almost empty, she needed to go and gather more herbs as soon as possible. The problem was that she needed to be extremely careful, if anyone would notice what she was doing, she would be in a lot of trouble. She would be tortured, perhaps even executed for practicing witchcraft. Using herbs wasn't witchcraft, it was a skill her beloved nursemaid Rodmilla had taught her when she had been a child, but she was very much aware what the church taught about such skills.

If anyone would know why she was taking these herbs… She knew that it was a great sin, but she was hoping that God would understand. Violette took a deep breath and took a sip out of the bottle. She knew that Lord Tristan was coming to her chamber tonight. The thought didn't really make her feel anything, not anymore. The first time had been painful and she had been nervous, perhaps even scared, but she had managed not to show that to him.

Refusing the Count's son had never been an option to a woman in her position; she had no father, brothers or even uncles to protect her. All her father's possession, including her dowry, belonged to Count de Martel. She needed to be very careful for not to aggravate the Count. Or his son. Fortunately Violette had lived in the castle long enough to know what to say and how to act. Rodmilla had raised her to be a strong and resourceful woman. Violette was more than grateful for everything Rodmilla had taught her.

Maybe she couldn't control the most parts of her life, but thanks to these herbs, she could at least control one part. She wouldn't have an illegitimate child. There would be no future for her if that would happen. If she would be very lucky, Lord Tristan would be gracious enough to support her and the child, but they would no doubt be send to some distant estate far away from Marseille. All Violette's hopes for any kind of freedom would be gone for good; she would be completely dependent on Tristan's mercifulness. That was the last thing she wanted.

If only she wouldn't have lost her father… He had never been a kind man and he had never forgiven her for being a girl, but Tristan had left her alone as long as her father had still been alive. Violette had noticed how Tristan had looked at her ever since her body had become the body of a woman and she had known what would happen after her father have died. Thankfully Rodmilla had explained those things to her after her first moon blood; she had wanted to prepare Violette for everything.

Carefully Violette hid the bottle and kneeled next to her bed. She prayed, just like she did every night. She prayed for freedom. Yes, she should have prayed for a husband, but so far she hadn't met a man she would wish to marry. Most noblemen were more or less like Count de Martel; cruel drunkards who treated their wives as their property. Violette didn't know how her father had treated her mother; she had been just an infant when her mother had died.

Of course her father had taken a new wife, but she had failed to give him sons, only a daughter who had died many winters ago. Violette hadn't really known her sister, they had been kept apart. Her father's new wife had never liked her stepdaughter and certainly hadn't cared what happened to Violette after the death of her father. She herself had remarried soon after becoming a widow; her new husband was an old, but very wealthy nobleman. Violette was just finishing her prayers when she heard a knock and quickly stood up. The door opened and Tristan entered her chamber.

"Good evening, Violette," he stated.

"Good evening, my lord," she replied and curtsied. She had prepared for his visit by bathing, wearing a nightgown and asking the servant girl to leave her hair down. She truly hoped that he would make it quick tonight, she was very tired. He walked over to her and touched her hair. The look in his usually cold eyes was hungry, his lips curved into a smile as he observed her.

"You look ravishing."

"Thank you, my lord."

"Did you enjoy the feast tonight?"

"I did, my lord. And you?"

"Yes, I did."

He paused and ran his fingers softly over her cheek, giving her a chance to have a conversation before getting to the point. At least he was polite for pretending to care what she had to say. Despite of his reputation, he had never been violent toward her and she had no doubt that she could have asked favors from him. She had never done that and she wasn't going to, she still had some pride left, as ridiculous as that probably was.

After reaching the conclusion that she was done talking, he cupped her chin and kissed her. It didn't feel bad, she had got used to his touch by now. The act itself hadn't really hurt after the first time and if he was particularly rough, he usually asked was he hurting her. Things could have been much worse; she was more than aware of that. Still she felt empty. She hoped for something more.


	3. Chapter 3

**Part 3**

The first rays of the morning sun were beginning to appear as Niklaus walked across the courtyard. He had woken up early and he was curious to get to know the surroundings of the castle. All the people he had ran into were either servants or soldiers, the nobles were probably still in bed. He suspected that Kol and Rebekah were still in bed as well, neither of them had ever enjoyed waking up early. Elijah and Finn on the other hand were probably awake already, but Niklaus hadn't asked either of them to join him, he had felt that he needed a moment by himself. He had a lot on his mind.

Everything had changed rather quickly after they had run into Lucien two days ago. Coming here, masquerading as nobles… Surprisingly all his siblings, even Kol, had managed to fit in. More or less. There was no chance they could have done this without Lucien's help. Niklaus liked the young servant and he felt sympathy for Lucien. Based on what Niklaus had seen here, the servants weren't treated very kindly. He couldn't really blame Lucien for despising the Count and the other nobles.

Niklaus stretched his arms as he reached the garden, the morning was truly beautiful. It seemed that he was alone; there was no one in sight. Except… There was someone walking by a pond. A woman. She was so far away that Niklaus could have barely seen her without his vampire's sight. She was wearing a modest light green gown and her dark brown hair was braided behind her head in a single long plait that reached almost to her waist.

At first Niklaus thought that she was a servant, but then he took a closer look and recognized her as the Lady Violette. Perhaps he should have wondered what she was doing here all by herself, but he was already walking towards her before managing to form any rational thoughts. He hadn't had a chance to introduce himself at the feast two nights ago and he hadn't seen her after that. There had been something about her that had caught his interest, but he had planned to follow Lucien's advice, clearly he had been serious when he had told Niklaus to avoid Lady Violette.

Although Lucien had refused to clarify the reason for his advice, Niklaus had read enough between the lines. The lady didn't have a husband, but apparently she was spoken for. Niklaus' family certainly didn't need any kind of trouble or unwanted attention; their safety was his first priority. Of course it was, but he didn't see any harm in introducing himself to the lady. That would only be a polite thing to do. She had knelt down when Niklaus reached her; it seemed that she was picking flowers.

"Good morning, my lady," Niklaus said, managing to really startle her. She almost jumped to her feet and turned quickly to look at him.

"Good…good morning," she stated and curtsied. She looked nervous and quickly hid the flowers she had been picking inside a handkerchief. That was a little strange.

"Forgive me, I did not mean to scare you."

"That's alright," she replied and looked up. Clearly she recognized him, she looked somewhat surprised. "I…I remember you from the feast, sir, but I am afraid I did not have the honor to make your acquaintance."

"My name is Niklaus, my lady," he responded and hesitated for a brief moment before taking her hand. According to Lucien, a kiss on the hand was a polite way for a nobleman to greet a lady, but somehow it felt quite intrusive to Niklaus. Touching a woman he had just met with his lips like this would have brought him some very unpleasant consequences back home. Lady Violette's hand felt warm and soft, he touched it carefully with his lips and couldn't help but to inhale her scent. She smelled very…pleasant.

"I am Violette de la Fontaine," she said and curtsied. "Pleasure to meet you, sir."

"The pleasure is all mine, I can assure you."

She blinked and gave him a polite smile.

"Are you a guest here, sir?"

Niklaus realized that his introduction hadn't been exactly formal.

"Yes, I am. My father is Count de Guise."

She was clearly surprised.

"Oh. Forgive me; I did not know that the Count has a son."

"Yes, there are five of us, myself, my three brothers and my sister."

"I see. Is this your first visit to Marseille?"

He nodded.

"Yes. Nice place. Especially this early. It's very peaceful here."

"Yes, it is, I enjoy the peace as well."

He noticed how tightly she squished the handkerchief, like she would have been afraid to drop it or something like that. She really seemed to like the flowers she had picked.

"Do you often come here all by yourself, my lady?" he asked before thinking how that sounded.

"No, my lord, not very often," she replied. If he wasn't mistaken, she sounded cautious; quickly she glanced at the castle. Apparently she had just realized that they were alone here; there was no one else in sight. Obviously the realization made her nervous.

"Forgive me," he said quickly. "I did not mean to sound rude…"

"No, no, you were not rude, my lord," she assured and smiled.

She truly had a beautiful smile…

"I am afraid I need to return to the castle, please excuse me, my lord."

"Yes, of course," he replied, although he would have liked to continue their conversation. He understood her cautiousness, they had just met. The last thing he wanted was to make her feel uncomfortable. She gave him another smile while curtsying.

"I hope you enjoy your visit here, my lord."

"I am sure that I will."

He sighed while watching her walking away, he really needed to… He didn't have time to properly formulate his thought when he turned and noticed the flowers she had picked. No, not flowers, herbs. Niklaus knew a thing or two about herbs, thanks to his mother. He had seen these ones before, he was sure of it. Esther had used them to some of her potions.

Niklaus frowned and looked up, catching a glimpse of Lady Violette's back before she was out of his sight. Was she a witch? What was she doing with these herbs? The problem was that Niklaus didn't know what they were used for. Kol would no doubt know, Esther had trained him since he had been a child. Niklaus wasn't sure if Kol would agree to even look at these herbs, losing his magic had been devastating to him. Still Niklaus picked few herbs and took them with him. It was just a precaution, nothing more.


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning, some mature content.**

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 **Part 4**

"Violette," Tristan panted. "Violette…"

She was lying under him as he thrust into her again and again. It didn't hurt; she had learned how to relax her muscles. Closing her eyes, she laid her head back and let out a moan. She did enjoy some of the things he did and he never took her without preparing her body first. Usually he did that by stimulating the sensitive spot between her legs with his fingers.

At first she had been too nervous and embarrassed to really enjoy it, but now she usually did. Sometimes she was even looking forward to it and she was more than aware how grateful she should be. Most men didn't care if the woman enjoyed it or not. Tristan did, he had even asked how and where Violette would like to be touched. She hadn't really been able to give him an answer. His touch didn't feel bad, but she couldn't really imagine yarning for it. Yet she was grateful, things could have been much worse. She could tell that he was almost done and opened her eyes.

"Violette," he panted. "I want your legs around me."

She complied the best way she could, although it caused her slight discomfort. Fortunately he finished soon and gave her a brief kiss before resting his head on her bosom. She stroked his hair as they both tried to catch their breath.

"Oh, Violette…" he sighed. He sounded more than satisfied. "That was quite something."

He kissed her breasts before rolling on his back beside her.

"Was that pleasurable for you?"

"Yes, my lord, it was," she replied.

He rolled on his side and ran his fingers over her cheek.

"I would like to hear it," he stated.

She was confused as she looked at him.

"My lord?"

"Your pleasure," he clarified. "There is no need to be shy; I do not want you to hold back."

She smiled and nodded, trying quickly to figure out what he meant. If she understood correctly, he wanted her to make more sounds. The thought made her uncomfortable, she wasn't a courtesan. Wasn't she really? What was she then? An honorable woman? Hardly. Instinctively she grabbed a blanket; she felt the need to cover herself.

"Violette? What is wrong?"

She forced a smile on her face and looked at him.

"Forgive me, my lord, I am cold."

"Oh dear," he hummed and wrapped his arms around her. "We can't have that now, can we?"

For some incomprehensible reason, his gesture almost made her to burst into tears. He did care about her, she wasn't a courtesan… What was wrong with her?

"There, all better," he said and kissed her forehead before pulling away. "Oh, I almost forgot, I have something for you."

He stood up and looked for something. It was small box.

"Something beautiful for someone beautiful," he said and handed the box to her.

"Thank you, my lord," she murmured. It wasn't difficult to guess what the box entailed. Jewelry. Gifts for a courtesan. Tears were burning behind her eyes when he started to get dressed. Honestly, what was wrong with her?

"I am afraid I must go now," he said and bent down to kiss her. "Sweet dreams, my beautiful Violette, I shall see you tomorrow."

"Yes, good night, my lord."

She curled up into a fetal position after he had left and hugged herself. For some reason she was very emotional. She was afraid. What kind of future could she possibly hope to have? What would happen to her after Tristan would get bored with her? Would she be married off to some cruel drunkard? How would she be able to endure that? At least Tristan wasn't violent. She felt the need to cry. Something was definitely wrong with her. She needed to pull herself together right now.

Determinedly she got up and washed herself before wearing a simple blue gown. She would go to the chapel, lit up a candle for Rodmilla and ask for her guidance. The thought helped her to immediately feel calmer. She took a deep breath before marching to the door. The long hallways were quiet in this hour; they were lit by torches hanging from the walls.

Silently she headed to the chapel when someone suddenly grabbed her from behind. A hand covered her mouth before she was able to make a sound. Panic hit immediately, she fought as hard as she could, but her attacker was stronger. The next thing she felt was the sharp pain in her neck. She was going to die…

"Get your hands off her!" a male voice growled.

Her attacker was suddenly gone; someone yanked him away from her. Unfortunately her legs couldn't hold her, she fell on her knees. Everything was spinning, she felt so dizzy that she had to lie down.

"Get lost, Nik," another male voice snorted. "Find your own supper…"

"Leave, Kol. Now."

"Fine. Right after I have finished her off. I am feeling generous, so I shall share her with you. You will love her, she is absolutely delicious…"

"You will not touch her!"

"Come on, we both know the first rule. Besides, what do you care? Do you know her?"

"We have met, but that is not the point. I will not let you harm her."

"Oh, how sweet. Is someone playing the knight in shining armor? It really doesn't suit you…"

Violette was struggling to keep her eyes open, but she was too weak.

"Help me…" she murmured weakly.

"Hey, it's alright."

Someone was touching her face; all she saw was a blurry figure.

"My lady? Violette? Stay with me."

She couldn't, her eyelids weighted a ton and she couldn't help closing her eyes. After that there was nothing but darkness.


End file.
